Spring-hook.



T. D. OWEN.

SPRING HOOK.

APPLIGATION FILED 00125, 1910.

988,499. y Patnted Apr.4, 1911.

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THOMAS D. OWEN, OF SHOALS, NORTH CAROLINA.

SPRING-HOOK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 4, 1911.

Application filed October 25, 1910. Serial No. 589,072.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS I). OWEN, a citizen of the Unitedf States, residing at Shoals, in the county of Surry and State of North Carolina, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hooks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled `in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvement in spring snap hooks, and particularly to the type used on the ends of straps.

The device is exceedingly simple and inexpensive to manufacture, consisting, as it does, of only two parts.

It can be easily applied to the common type of hook, absolutely no changes being required in the construction. Its action is positive and not likely to get out of order, having no small coil springs such as are used in the common type of snap hooks.

It is particularly adapted to the fastening of traces, because of its peculiar construction; will not become unfastened when the horse is going down a hill and the trace is i slack.

v more fully described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the snap as applied to a trace hook, and Fig. 2 is a y side view with portions of the strap cut slightly curved in a plane perpendicular to the U. The straight ends of the U-shaped piece lare inserted in the holes 3 punched in the two outer pieces of leather 4 and 5, the wires being necessarily somewhat bent at this point so that they may lie flat along each side of the middle piece of the strap 6. The three pieces of the straps 4, 5 and 6 are then sewed together by two lines of stitch- .ing 10, this holding the open ends of the wire firmly in place. A finger piece 7 is provided for, operating the spring snap, it being formed from a U-shaped strip of metal, the ends of which are wrapped around the wire l on both sides of the strap.

A common type of hook 8 is inserted between the outer pieces l and 5 on the strap and fastened by rivets 9. The end 2 of the spring l presses downward against the end l1 of the hook S, this completely closing the entrance to the hook 8. On depressing the finger piece 7 the spring l is bent away from contact with 4the point ll and the entrance to the hook 8 opened.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

The combination of a strap end formed of layers of material secured together, a hook projecting from said end and having al shank received between the layers and a spring wire closure for the mouth of the hook having its rear end embedded in the strap end material, and a U-shapcd finger piece attached to the closure and embracing the edge of the strap end.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS D. OWEN.

Witnesses:

W. C. PoINDnx'rER, J. T. SMITHERMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

